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Beta Gamma Sigma named Premier Chapter

Shippensburg University’s Beta Gamma Sigma Chapter is one of 121 Premier Chapters for 2009-10, according to the Board of Governors of Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS).

Beta Gamma Sigma is the international honor society serving business programs accredited by AACSB International — The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Membership in BGS is the highest recognition a business student anywhere in the world can receive in a business program accredited by AACSB International.

Beta Gamma Sigma has 486 collegiate chapters in all 50 U.S. states and 19 countries and territories. Additionally, 24 alumni chapters serve the needs of alumni members in major metropolitan areas, including Hong Kong.

To qualify, 85 percent of Shippensburg’s qualifying members at both the undergraduate and graduate level must accept the invitation to become lifetime members.

Dr. April Bailey, assistant professor of accounting/MIS and chapter adviser, said “The Premier Chapter classification is testament to the chapter’s high value on scholarship.”

According to Bailey, “Membership into BGS is based on merit. Junior and senior business students are eligible if they are in the top 10% of their class and graduate students in the MBA program are eligible if they are in the top 20 percent of their graduating class. The students have worked very hard to receive this honor and Dean (John) Kooti, Associate Dean (Anthony)Winter, and I are proud of their success.”

The Shippensburg chapter has been active since 1983, and Bailey said 1,205 chapter members have been inducted into the honor society since then.

The designation qualifies Shippensburg’s chapter to participate in and receive $500 in the BGS matching funds scholarship program next year. Under this program, each year one deserving student who is a member of BGS is awarded a $1,000 scholarship.

The chapter also is eligible to nominate one of its BGS chapter advisers to be considered in the 2011 Outstanding Chapter competition, which offers additional scholarship dollars. In addition, the chapter may send one or two student members to a student leadership forum and may nominate someone for the 2011 Business Achievement or Medallion for Entrepreneurship Awards.